#ColourYourWords: Yellow: The Yellow Paithani Saree of happiness & sunshine

DISCLAIMER

This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this Story are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and unintentional.

Chandu, the old and bent weaver, squinted his cataract eyes and looked at the yellow silk threads in front of him, which he was busy weaving into a saree.

A yellow Paithani Saree! Which represented happiness and sunshine and cheerfulness.

When he had received the order to weave a yellow Paithani Saree, Chandu had once more thanked his good stars and his good fortune and set to work immediately, surrounded and motivated by yellow silk and real gold threads.

Though he had woven thousands of Paithani Sarees, weaving a yellow Paithani Saree carried a different significance to Chandu, something which only he and his boss knew about.

It was not every day that they got orders for a yellow Paithani Saree.

For Paithani Sarees came in almost all the possible colors- red, green, blue, pink, maroon, orange, even black, these days!

Naturally, orders for a typical yellow Paithani Saree, which used to be traditionally worn by the Maharashtrian bride as her wedding saree had started to lose the significance that it once had.

Most of the brides today preferred to wear exquisite designer lehengas and some even opted for those sexy gowns. However, there was a glimmer of hope, though.

The yellow Paithani Saree would be ordered to be worn by the bride on her haldi day. A typical haldi day meant that the bride had to be dressed in yellow. But there was a catch here! A saree worn on a haldi function could not possibly be used again, for the haldi was bound to leave smug and trace marks on the saree making it almost impossible to re-wear. Paithani being a fairly expensive saree was rarely the choice of preference for a haldi ceremony.

But there were exceptions, of course!

Like Ramnilal's daughter, who had insisted on wearing a yellow Paithani Saree on her haldi.

Ramnilal, being a doting and rich father, obviously could not refuse his dear daughter.

It was for this haldi ceremony that Chandu was weaving a yellow Paithani Saree, all the time dreaming about his own daughter's wedding!

Like any other loving father, Chandu also harbored the dream of his only daughter wearing a Paithani Saree for her wedding, but he very well knew that it would cost more than double of his monthly salary, so had to bury his dream in the depths of his consciousness.

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The day began and was as shining as bright as yellow!

For it was Ramniklal's daughter haldi and it was promising to be a grand affair!

Ramniklal had ordered the 'Royal Wedding Decorators' to have 'Yellow' as the theme!

Everything that day was yellow and bright as sunshine, spreading cheer and warmth, filling the day with sublime happiness!

Yellow was also reflected in Ramniklal's heart, which was also full of happiness and sunshine and warmth and cheers! 

Yellow stage and set, yellow shimmery decorations, yellow marigold flowers, yellow candles, yellow satin curtains, yellow table cloths, yellow lightning on the lawns, yellow balloons strewn on the lawns and attached on every pillar, even waiters wearing yellow turbans only!

The decorations just did not stop here.

It extended to the food as well.

Even the glass plates had yellow flowers on them, there were yellow-colored bouquets on each table, and even the food was yellow-colored! Like the yellow mango drink, yellow Kaju Katli Barfi, yellow dhoklas, yellow paneer rolls, yellow-colored cashew nuts, everything was yellow.

Even the songs in the background had to have the word 'yellow' in them!

And of course, the most important was the yellow haldi saree for his darling daughter Manjushree!

The pre-wedding ceremonies themselves were going to be an elaborate three-day affair and promised to be royal, lavish by any standards.

There would be Mehendi, Haldi, and Sangeet.

Then there would be the grand wedding, which would be the 'talk of the town' or 'the envy of the town', depending on which side you were, Ramnikalal's or the opposite's!

Ramaniklal Shah, the shrewd politician, wanted to show off not just his wealth and love for his daughter, but also his power, his glory, his contacts, his hold, his importance.

Nothing could be more appropriate than the occasion of his only daughter's wedding!

It was not just a daughter's wedding for Ramniklal.

It was a test of his power and status!

It was a commentary on his importance and influences. It was a tribute to his glory. It was about his money and muscles. It was this and that. And it was much, much more.

That it was centered around a wedding, was a mere coincidence! For the wedding was a mere cause.

The purpose of the wedding was not solely the 'coming together of sweethearts Manjushree and Dheeraj'.

It was the 'coming together of the supporters and the opponents', it was the 'coming together of the classes and the masses', and it was the 'coming together of the rural and modern India'!

That it was centered around a wedding, was a mere coincidence! For the wedding was a mere cause. 

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The yellow Paithani Saree that Chandu had woven had panned out to be a masterpiece, a work of art as planned.

And to think that art exists only in art classes or in paintings or sculptors would be a blatant lie!

The six yards long yellow Paithani Saree was an expression of art at its peak, at its finest and purest form! And to even think that it was a mere saree would be profanity and a deep insult to the weaver and the buyer and the wearer. For it represented more than a mere dress. It spoke of Status, money, power, glory, even royalty!

There were various rumors surrounding Manjushree Ramniklal's yellow Paithani Saree. Regarding its price, of course! And they were as wild as rumors can get. Some predicted that it was priced around 25,000 rupees, some were damn sure that it was worth 50,000 rupees, while others dare not even put a price on it!

"It is a pity that this yellow Paithani Saree would be used just once by the bride-to-be" A woman was heard saying to another woman.

Both were poor aunts of the bride-to-be and would love to buy such a Yellow Paithani Saree for their respective daughter at their wedding and they were sure that it would be used on and on for generations. For Paithani Sarees are known to remain in the same conditions as they were when they were bought, even after generations, and are said to retain their luster, their gold finishing and silk look every three generations later.

"They are planning to give it away to one of her poor servants" one poor aunt was overheard saying to the other poor aunt.

And both the poor aunts sighed.

And both wished that had they been the bride-to-be's servants instead of her aunts, they would have benefited more.

Imagine receiving a brand new Paithani Saree or one that has been worn just once as a gift! Almost every woman's dream!

The two poor aunts once again sighed and busied themselves with the wedding preparations.

But both could not concentrate much, since the rumored price of the Yellow Paithani Saree was still hovering in their minds and both exclaimed spontaneously "A 50,000 rupees Yellow Paithani Saree will be used just once! Such a pity!"

After a while, both again said spontaneously "I have heard that the price of the bride's wedding lehenga is around 5 lakh rupees!"

And looked at each other.

And found the same look of jealousy on each other's faces.

For they were just not poor aunts but loving and poor moms too!

Those who dreamt of something similar for their daughter's wedding, but just could not afford anything close to that. So carried that typical 'grapes-are-sour' philosophy throughout the wedding celebrations.

"Anyway, what matters is the inner beauty of the bride. Not all look beautiful in lehengas" " one poor aunt said to the other, hopefully.

"Also not all lehengas are beautiful. For that, you have to have taste, not just money" the other poor aunt said to the first.

Both agreed simultaneously.

Though there was seldom anything that they had completely and truly agreed on in the last thirty years. But this was an exceptional case. It was a case where both the poor aunts had a common enemy- the rich niece. Naturally, a common enemy had brought both the poor aunts together like never before. And both were seen bustling around like real sisters in love and harmony throughout the event.

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When Chandu, the old and bent weaver, had heard that the Yellow Paithani Saree that he had woven would be used just once, he too had shared the same feelings, if not more emotionally. For he had worked two whole months, breaking his old back, weaving the silk and the gold threads, with love and discipline, with caution and care.

'Such a waste!'

'It will be used just once!'

Thought the creator Chandu. And his displeasure was fully justified.

But there was only one silver lining in the whole procedure for Chandu. He would get to keep the extra and left-over yellow silk and gold threads to prepare a Yellow Paithani Saree for his daughter's wedding, and that too for free!

So whenever, an order for a Yellow Paithani Saree would come his way, Chandu could not thank his stars enough!

An order for a new Yellow Paithani Saree meant more leftovers of yellow silk and gold threads for his daughter's Yellow Paithani Saree!

He had been working on his daughter's Yellow Paithani Saree for at least a year.

In Chandu's community, the bride always wore a yellow saree for her marriage. And Chandu more than anything in the world dreamt of his daughter wearing a Yellow Paithani Saree for her marriage! 'Imagine the royalty that she would command, the opulent look that she would ooze!' he used to visualize.

Chandu had to depend on the leftover yellow silk and gold threads to make his daughter's wedding saree. And though there were many orders for Paithani Sarees, they were of all colors, red, maroon, orange, blue, green, even black these days………but Chandu…he needed only yellow silk and gold threads for his daughter's wedding saree and he had to wait indefinitely for an order of a yellow Paithani saree.

Once he got that idea, he had already started working on it!

When he asked his master for permission to use the leftover yellow silk and gold threads to weave a saree for his daughter, his master who knew that Chandu had been working in his mill from the past four decades, had agreed grudgingly but had just one condition "You will have to weave after your normal working hours. I don't want our normal work or orders to be affected."

Chandu had agreed profusely.

And had started working over-time, after 5 pm up to 8 pm or even 9 pm at times.

When his wife and daughter had inquired the reason why he came late some days, he would merely mumble "lots of work".

He did not want to tell anyone, including his wife, that he was weaving a special Yellow Paithani Saree for his daughter's wedding. He wanted to keep it a secret. So he had kept that little secret buried in a corner of his heart and would work to his heart's content, after hours, on his dream project.

Chandu was nearing 60 and might have a cataract in one eye, for he could not see clearly through one eye. But he dare not inform his boss about his blurring vision. He knew that that could mean that he would be replaced by a younger and fitter weaver with clearer eyesight.

Chandu just could not afford to lose this job. It was the only source of income that he had to fend for his small family.

He needed both the job, the mill, and the leftover yellow silk and gold threads desperately.

So he never informed the boss about his failing and blurring eyesight, just squinted his weak eye and went back to work.

'Poor people anyway don't have much of a choice!' Chandu consoled himself and kept on working, diligently.

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Chandu's back, which had been bent for over 40 years, weaving and weaving Paithani Sarees, used to now pain horribly, and coupled with his blurring vision in one eye, Chandu's speed and accuracy had declined a bit. This was also the main concern and complaint about his work. He had even overheard his boss speaking to his junior "We will have to find a replacement for Chandu. He is getting old and his work is now not up to the mark!"

That comment had been like a stab in the back for Chandu whose back hurt even more now!

Much less from the back pain and more from the back-stabbing!

So his problem was more psychological than physical!

But it was a problem, nevertheless, and it was only growing as the days went by.

He could feel a sharp pain shooting throughout his body whenever he used to bend with concentration and the frequency and intensity of his back pain was increasing with time……………. till the time had come for him to finally realize that he had better quit………….or he too would be permanently bed-ridden like many of his older colleagues.

Many times, he had thought of quitting his work and concentrating on his small poultry, instead for income. But the thought that his dream project of the Yellow Paithani Saree for his daughter would remain unfulfilled hit him hard, maybe harder than his back pain, and used to force him to go to work every single day.

There was a time when he had to pull himself out of his bed, so much was his back pain……

Only the thought of completing his daughter's Yellow Paithani Saree kept him going.

That extra mile.

That extra yard.

That extra weave.

And a time came when he felt that his dream of weaving a Yellow Paithani Saree for his daughter was the main reason for his enduring his increasing back pain.

So though he cursed himself for having such a lofty and impossible dream for his daughter, it was the same dream which still kept him going.

There were even times, when he used to curse his ambition, his silly dream, and his lofty target of weaving a Yellow Paithani Saree for his daughter, and sometimes when the pain would be just unbearable, he would even end up blaming his daughter herself, though his daughter played no role in his back pain or his ambition, for she had never even wished for a Yellow Paithani Saree for her wedding.

It was just Chandu and his love and ambition that saw him working overtime on his dream project.

Though he knew that he was a bit ambitious, he also felt that it was perfectly natural for a father of a daughter, who has woven hundreds of Paithani Sarees in the last four decades, to wish for a Paithani Saree for his only daughter as a Wedding Saree.

'If other's daughters can get a Paithani Saree from their father on their wedding, my daughter deserves it all the more' Chandu used to think, a bit over-confidently, recollecting all the Paithani Sarees that he had woven till date.

There were even times of despair when he used to feel that his dream would remain just a dream, for at times there were not enough leftover yellow silk and gold threads to complete the job.

Or there were times when Chandu used to realize that he, the master Paithani Weaver, who had woven hundreds of rich and exquisite designer Sarees for other's daughter, had to be satisfied with just a simple Yellow Paithani Saree for his only daughter, for there was just not enough yellow silk and gold threads to weave an exquisite designer Saree.

Brushing aside his tears of despair and hopelessness at the injustice and unfairness of life, he would once again focus his eyes and concentration on his dream project.

He had even promised himself that he will quit this job as soon as his daughter's Yellow Paithani Saree is ready!

'What a day it would be!' Chandu would visualize and smile to himself.

A glorious career of four decades of weaving grand and real gold and silk Paithani Sarees would reach its peak when his own daughter's Yellow Paithani Saree would be ready and then he knew that he would happily descend into retirement and oblivion.

He could now imagine the surprise and smile on his wife's and daughter's faces the day he would go home, retired, satisfied with a Yellow Paithani Saree for his daughter's wedding, as the bonus.

A grand finale!

A deserving end!

Only it seemed so far away, so distant and so unpredictable since these days he was without the necessary leftover yellow silk and gold threads.

Instinctively, Chandu would look at his daughter's half-woven Yellow Paithani Saree that he was in the process of weaving, lying stretched on the mill, uncompleted and he would be full with a sense of unfulfillment. He would even feel a sharp pain of despair in his heart which would surpass even his sharp back pain.

These days, Chandu kept on working on other people's Paithani Sarees and merely looking with a mixture of regret and fondness at his daughter's half-woven Yellow Paithani Saree, which lay unwoven and waiting to be completed.

His daughter's Yellow Paithani Saree, which was both half-completed and half-incomplete, had become both a source of inspiration and a sense of failure for Chandu.

There were times when he did not want to go to work.

At the same time, he had to go to work.

And there were times when he wondered what he hated more, his weaving of Paithani Saree for other's daughters or his viewing of the incomplete Yellow Paithani Saree of his daughter.

Anyway, one thing he had decided with full determination. That he was going to quit the very day, his daughter's Yellow Paithani Saree was ready.

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It was just another typical average day when he was looking at his daughter's half-completed and half-incomplete Yellow Paithani Saree, with a mixture of inspiration and failure, that his Supervisor burst into the mill, excitedly calling out "Chandu………Chandu".

Chandu feared the worst.

He was sure that he was being sacked, then and there!

With frightened eyes and dread in his heart, he looked at his supervisor, who came near him, put a hand on his shoulder for the first and last time in his life, and muttered slowly in Chandu's ears "I am sorry Chandu" and paused and apologetically said something that Chandu never expected to hear in his life.

"Your daughter is dead, Chandu……………bitten by a snake……………..poisonous snake………..died on the way to the hospital………Chandu………..Chandu…I am so…..sorry". For once the Supervisor's voice had plunged so low and was so moist and sympathetic that it was almost unrecognizable for Chandu, who had only heard his Supervisor either bark orders at him or speak to him curtly and briefly.

The mill and the room started spinning…………wildly….

Chandu's world started becoming upside-down.

Understandably, the only glimpse that Chandu had before he fainted, was that of his daughter's half-woven Yellow Paithani Saree for her wedding.

As he was collapsing, strangely, Chandu even had a vague feeling of relief that he did not have to wait for leftover yellow silk and gold threads and work on the Saree anymore………….and strangely became aware that he was suddenly feeling happy for his back, as he had no reason to work for anymore!

It was at the same moment that he realized that he also did not have any reason to live for anymore!

It was then that he fainted, tears of deep sadness erupting with a suddenness and force that he could neither control nor comprehend.

The last image that Chandu had before he fainted, was that of his daughter's half-woven yellow Paithani Saree, filling his heart with mixed emotions of sadness and incompleteness coupled with relief and meaninglessness!